Mumpower's the word

ryanteaguebeckwith — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 09:13:09 -0400

Carl Mumpower has shared his definition of "envirojacker."

In an e-mail to Dome, the Asheville City Councilman and Republican Congressional candidate gives this explanation for the term, which he apparently coined in a recent press release:

Homo sapiens prone to selective use of facts, extreme views, and unsupported science related to environmental issues. This species is highly resistant to rational, realistic, and scientifically grounded environmental initiative and may, when challenged or denied, behave in an aggressive and destructive manner. There have been reports of associated tendencies toward manipulation and entitlement.

Previously: Mountain Xpress proposes an alternative definition.

The Mumpower Heritage Dictionary

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 11:00:00 -0400

An Asheville weekly confirms that "envirojacker" is a new word.

After noting that Asheville City Councilman and Republican Congressional candidate Carl Mumpower had used the word in a recent press release, we at Dome wondered if it was perhaps mountain slang that we'd not heard down here in Raleigh.

But a writer for the Mountain Xpress says she's never heard of it either. In addition, the alt-weekly suggests the word could be turned on its head:

Then again, the phrase "envirojacker," which combines "environment" and "jack," could have potential as a slang term among environmentalists. As in, those "envirojackers" have totally jacked the landscape with their coal mine, and they've done jack to clean up the pollution.

That's the trouble with neologisms. They don't always end up meaning what you wanted them to mean.